Corn-harvester.



No. 637,378'. Patented Nov. 2|, I899.

- .1. E. FISHER.

CORN HABVESTER.

Application filed Apr 28, 1899.)

2 ShaetsSheet L (No Model.)

m: Noam PEYERS no. Puorouwo. msummovu c J. E. FISHER.

CORN HARVESTER.

(Ayplication filed Apr.

Patented Nov. 2|, I899.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

{No Medial.)

WHQQSSZS ATENT Fries.

JOHN E. FISHER, OF FRANKFORT, OHIO.

CORN-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,378, dated November 21, 1899. Application filed April 28, 1899. Serial No. 714,853. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JOHN E. FISHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Frankfort, in the county of Ross and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Corn-Harvester, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in corn-harvesters; and the object is to guide or direct the machine in a path parallel to the rows by the stubs of the cut stalks and to provide improved means for supporting the wheeled spindles on the machine-frame,while allowing the wheels to rotate freely on said spindles. These ends are attained by the simple construction of machine which is efficient in operation and may be easily turned or reversed at the end of the row.

The invention consists in the novel combination, construction, and arrangement of parts, as Will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a corn-harvester embodying my present improvement. Fig. 2 is a top plan view. Fig. 3 is an inverted or'bottom plan View of the machine. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on the plane through the driving and grain wheels and the supporting devices therefor, illustrating the means by which the wheel on the side next to the grain may be adjusted vertically.

The same numerals of reference denote like and corresponding partsin each of the several figures of the drawings.

10 designates the longitudinal sills, which extend from front to rear of the machine, and to the upper edges of said sills is secured the front cross-rail 11, while a rear cross-rail 12 is joined to the sills, thus producing a substantial simple construction of frame. A platform 13 is secured to the cross-rails 11 and is elevated thereby above the edges of the sills 10, thus providing at the grain side of the machine a space between the sills and the platform adapted to permit the revoluble ontter to project into thetapering throat or space which contains the fixed knife-blade, as will presently appear. On the platform 13 are secured the longitudinal seat-rails 14 15, to

which is fixed the drivers seat 16, and the rail 15 is disposed at that side of the frame having the lifting-bar l7. Said lifting-baris fastened securely to the framework of the machine to occupy an inclined relation to the sill at the grain side of the machine-frame, and said bar and sill form between themselves an inclined throat or space into which the cornstalks are guided by the inclined bar when the machine is drawn across the cornfield. This lifting-bar is pointed and inclined in a downward direction at its free extremity, as at '18, and said inclined and pointed end is adapted to travel close to the ground for the purpose of lifting any leaning or blown-down stalks into upright positions, where they may be conveniently grasped by the driver occupying the seat 16 on the machine-frame. In

the lower face of the lifting-bar 17, adjacent to the crotch or angle formed between the frame-sill and the bar 17, is provided a horizontal recess 19, adapted to receive the knifeblade 20. This knife-blade is fixed in the recessed portion 19 of said lifting-bar by bolts or other suitable contrivances, and the cutting edge of the fixed knife is extended laterally beyond the inner face or side of the lifting-bar in order that the knife may operate to sever the stalks as the machine is drawn by the team.

The machine frame is equipped with a shock-rack on the grain side thereof, said rack being disposed between the driving and grain wheels and to one side of the platform 13. The rack is formed by a bottom 21 and sides 22 23, and these elements are disposed in the longitudinal plane of the tapered throat or space which is formed between the liftingbar 17 and the machine-frame. The bottom of the rack is fastened in a suitable way to the machine-frame, and the walls 22 23 of said rack are inclined laterally in reverse direc tions to each other in order to provide a rack which will contain a large-sized shock. An inclined stalk-guide 24 is disposed between one side 23 of the rack and the liftin -bar 17, the front end of said stalk-guide 24 being fastened to said bar 17. The upper rear end of the guide 24 is bent to form an offset or arm 25, which at its free end is provided with a slot or eye 26, that is fastened bya bolt 27 to the outer side or wall 23 of the shock-rack. The stalk-guide operates in conjunction with the lifting-bar 17 to direct the cornstalks into the space or throat having the cutter devices, and said guide occupies an elevated position above the lifting-bar for the stalks to ride against the same. On the side of the platform 13 adjacent to the inclined arm 17 is fixed an inclined guard-rail 28, which extends from the inner wall 22 of the shock-rack to the front end of the platform on one sill of the machine-frame, and this guard-rail prevents the driver from falling off the side of the machine should he lean over too far in grasping the cornstalks which may be elevated by the lifting-bar 17.

29 designates the rotary cutter, having a continuous working edge, and this cutter is arranged in a horizontal plane for a fragment of one edge thereof to protrude beyond the platform and into the throat or space, said cutter being disposed in a position for the protruding sect-ion of its working edge to lie contiguous to the fixed blade or knife 20. This cutter is carried by a vertical shaft 30, which is journaled in suitable bearings of the frame below the platform 13, and to this shaft is fixed a beveled gear 32, adapted to be driven from a corresponding inter-meshing gear 3% on a short counter-shaft 33, the latter beinjournaled in bearings 33 of the machine-frame. Said counter-shaft is also provided with a sprocketgear 35, which is driven by an endless sprocket-chain 36, adapted to engage operatively with a driving-sprocket 37 on the driving-shaft Said shaft 38 is journaled in bearings 39 011 the machine-frame, and one end of said shaft is extended or prolonged beyond the side of the frame to receive a driving-wheel. The prolonged end of this driving-shaft has a transverse aperture -i0 produced therein, and on said end of the shaft is loosely fitted the driving-wheel 41, the tread of which is corrugated or ribbed to prevent slipping of the wheel on the ground. The hub 12 of this driving-wheel has a transverse key-slot 13, which is adapted to register with the aperture 4:0 in the shaft, and the clutch-pin 11 may be thrust through this keyslot and the aperture to make the drivingwheel fast with the shaft. Said wheel is adapted to rotate the shaft as the machine is drawn across the field for the operation of the rotary cutter; but it is evident that the attendant may withdraw said clutch-pin from the aperture 40 in the shaft, thus permitting the wheel 41 to rotate idly on the shaft and throwing the rotary cutter out of service. The perforated end of the shaft,which receives the driving-wheel, is threaded externally for the reception of a nut 45, which may be screwed to said shaft and remain permanently thereon in order to hold the d rivin g-wheel 41 against displacement when the clutelrpin is disengaged, thus preventing the drivingwheel from working off the shaft and permitting said wheel to rotate idly thereon. The slack in the sprocket-chain is taken up by an idler ti ghtener-rolleri-G which is adapt ed to ride against the chain at a point between the sprockets 35 37, and this idler-roller is mounted loosely on the stub-axle i7, which is fast with a slotted hanger 18, that is secured adj ustably to the frame by a transverse bolt 49.

The side of the machine-frame adjacent to the standing stalks is supported by a grainwheel 50, which is loosely mounted on a spindle 51, said spindle being arr-ranged substantially in alinement with the driving-shaft 28, on which the drivingwvheel 11 is mounted, whereby the machine-frame is adapted to be balanced substantially on the two wheels 4-1 50. The spindle which carries the grainwheel is connected with the frame for adjustment in a vertical direction to adapt the machine i'or raising and lowering in order to make the knives or cutters act efficiently on standing or low corn, and to this end a vertical series of transverse apertures 52 are provided in the side of the shock-rack. The spindle 51 may be passed through either of the apertures 52 in order to raise or lower the machineframe; but at the same time the frame is adapted to be easily drawn because it is supported by the two wheels. A sleeve is fitted in the hub of the grain-wheel 50, and at its inner end said sleeve has a flange or head 54, arranged to bear against the side 23 for the purpose of spacing the grain-wheel laterally with respect to the shock-rack. The axle-spindle 51 is threaded for the reception of a nut 54:, which prevents the grain-wheel from slipping off.

The machine is drawn across the field by a team, and the draft appliance is arranged so that the team may walk in the space at one side of the standing corn instead of between the rows of corn. A transverse draft-bar 55 is fixed securely to the front ends of the sills 10, and said draft-bar is provided with drafteyes 57, one of which is fixed to the draft-bar at its middle and the other at the extremity of said draft-bar on the off side of the machine. The draft links 56 are connected loosely with the draft-eyes, and said links carry the draft-hook 58, to which the team is hitched.

On the under side of the machine-frameis provided a longitudinal guide-rail (50, which is fixed to a false bottom or a part of the machine -frame below the shockrack. This guide-rail extends longitudinally of the machine in line with the throat or space between the lifting-bar 17 and one of the main sills, and said guide-rail lies in close relation to the ground, so that the stubs of the eornstalks will engage with or travel against said guiderail for the purpose of keeping the machine in a straight line, thus in a measure directing the course of the machine across the field. The inner side or wall 22 of the shock-rack is stayed or braced by the rods 61, which are fastened to the platform and to the wall.

The fixed knife or blade 20 is adapted to project from the inclined lifting-bar toward the adjacent sill of the frame, and the edge of the rotary cutter works across the crotch or space between the frame and said bar 17, said cutter lying above and in rear of the fixed blade. This relative disposition of the fixed and rotary cutters is an important feature of my invention, because the fixed cutter is adapted when the machine is in motion to sever the stalks; but should one of the stalks be pulled up by its roots when the operator grasps the stalk and a fixed blade shears the same I have found that the rotary cutter will tend to effectually sever the stalk and, owing to its motion, will prevent lodgment of the stalk or root in the throat or space. The rotary cutter thus insures the severance of any stalks which may tend to pass the fixed blade, and the throat or space is thus kept free from clogging by accumulation of the stalk or its roots, thereby promoting the efficiency of the machine.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A corn-harvester comprising a wheeled frame provided with a shock-rack, a liftingbar fixed to said frame in inclined relation thereto and forming therewith a tapering throat or space, cutters on said frame and lifting-bar and projecting across the throat or space at the angle or crotch thereof, and a guide-bar fixed to the under side of the frame, longitudinally thereof, and substantially in alinement with the throat or space between the frame and inclined lifting-bar, substan-' tially as described.

2. A corn-harves ter comprising a frame carrying a shock-rack and a lifting-arm, a cutter apparatus on said frame, the axle-spindles secured to the frame on opposite sides thereof, the sleeves fitted on the spindles and bearing against the sides of the frame, the driving and grain Wheels fitted on the sleeves of the respective axles, a cotter-pin to confine the driving-wheel and its sleeve against displacement, the axle-nuts, and gearing between the driving-Wheel and an element of the cutter apparatus, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. FISHER.

Witnesses:

N. M. OoYNER, ALLEN W. YAPLE. 

